Rants. raves and ramblings from celestial circles . . .

Archive for the ‘POLITICS’ Category

Media nowadays thrives on sensationalism. They use sensationalism for ratings to sell airtime or magazines or newspapers. It is dangerous. As we have seen lately and all too often, a deadly form of information sharing.

We live in a world where sensationalism creates an illusive hatred. By sensationalizing and exaggerating the relevance of issues and events, it relies on human emotion to amplify division on issues and events. The media then becomes the instigator where there may be two or more opposing sides. Through the use of repetitive reinforcement, the media forces those entranced by it, to take sides. This is how the media instigates hatred on a daily basis.

Anyone that follows this recipe can neutralize the emotion and hatred by presenting an equal amount of positive behavior and truly educational programming, or unbiased documentary storytelling. The mainstream media no longer does this. This is why the early news broadcasts of the sixties would present serious stories and then they would give you light reporting of human interest stories. A balance. Now they have all abandoned the concept. Creating consistent negative aggression psychological programming.

I have spent a considerable amount of time in the past months studying the Biblical texts that were not included in the Bible. The easiest way to look at the spiritual importance of God and Christ is in terms of the First Covenant and the Second Covenant. The First Covenant was the revelation of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were restrictive guidelines to live by.

The Second Covenant was the Coming of Christ. Whether you see Jesus Christ as a physical presence that lived on the Earth 2000 years ago, or a symbolic representation of a prophet. It is generally understood his message was ‘love’. So the Second Covenant was the message of love. His message of love was revolutionary because at the time of the Romans, and even before . . . daily life was kill or be killed.

The First Covenant gave humanity restrictive guidelines to live by. These values were not much different then the Native American virtues. These values are thousands of years old and do not change ever! The Second Covenant was NOT restrictive. It was the message of love. It isn’t that the Second Covenant supersedes the First Covenant. It is not a replacement. It is a message clarifying the Word of God. Everything in the Ten Commandments are representative of love. The message of Christ was LOVE. The Word of God is LOVE.

All of the major religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, have been fostering a lie for thousands of years now. Christ taught by example. His followers included women such as Mary Magdalene. My friends that know me have heard me relay this message before. After Christ died, Mary Magdalene told the other Apostles that she was given a teaching that Christ did not share with the other Apostles. The other Apostles did not believe her and would not hear her. There is an important teaching there, too.

One of the Apostles convinced the others to hear her out. She then shared the teaching with the other Apostles. Christ’s message was ‘to teach others how to teach enlightenment’. Read that again. It was not how to teach enlightenment. It was teaching others ‘how’ to teach enlightenment. This was the first most important revelation in my life just ten or so years ago, after all of my years of Catholic upbringing and studying philosophies and religions.

The important significance of the two Covenants of God was my own personal most important second revelation just a few months ago. The life of Christ was a message of inclusion. Christ was inclusive of women as equal in the ministry of his teachings and of the Word of God. This has not been the general practice of Judaism since inception. This was not the practice of Christianity after the Council of Nicaea. In fact it was the opposite. They eradicated any symbolism or text where women where shown to be equal in the ministry of God and Christ.

Islam has always included these restrictions for women. There is only one woman mentioned by name in the Koran. She is Mary, mother of Jesus. Two entire chapters of the Koran are named after her and speak of her. It is important to understand at this point that the Koran is much like the New and Old Testament Bibles. In fact, parts of the Koran are based on the Judaic and the Christian Bible. While all three have gems of truth, knowledge and teachings, they were all written by men. And as such, many of the edicts, fatwa’s, doctrines and traditions were written by men or religious groups or churches with the specific goal of controlling others or the behavior of others.

Which brings me back to the topic of forgiveness and repentance. The Catholic Church early on, and hence, Christianity, focused on Christ’s death on the cross as a form of repentance and forgiveness for original sin. These Christian concepts, along with the idea of resurrection, are all concepts of the early Church, written to gain favors for the early Popes and Bishops. And to reign strict control over followers of Christianity. But let me be clear here. This was not the belief of the earliest Christians. Which were later considered heretics by the Church.

Which leads me to my final point. Christianity as dictated by the Churches, focuses on the dogma surrounding the death of Christ, forgiveness for original sin through the knowledge and belief in Christ, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven. Many religions believe in a second coming, or the future arrival of a great prophet. My personal belief is Christ never died on the cross. I believe in the Living Christ. Here on Earth right now through others and through love.

Unlike the Christian Doctrine, I do not believe you have to ‘know and believe’ in Christ to attain a paradise in heaven. Good people that know and share love, in even the most remote areas of the world that have never heard of Christ, are just as welcome in the paradise of life after death. In fact, Christ’s own beliefs are in actuality more akin to the Buddhist and Eastern concepts of atonement of the soul and reincarnation.

So the answer is LOVE. It will never give you a strict code of regulation on what you should or should not forgive. It is the flexibility of the Second Covenant that gives you the decisive conscience to make decisions based on the First and Second Covenant. The Word of God as revealed by the Ten Commandments, and love, as taught by Christ in the Second Covenant.

It is easier to understand if you refer to it as the First Covemant and the Second Covenant. The books of the Old Testament were the First Covenant. The Covenant of Moses, Abraham, God, and His people with the promise of the Arc and the guidance of the Ten Commandments.

The Second Covenant was the coming of Christ. The New Testament.

And the Old Testament is not complete. There are still stories and writings buried somewhere in the Earth. It is a Living Bible. As is the New Testament. The New Testament is a simple message. The message of love. At a time when all was Barbarians and Romans killing each other.

So the Second Covenant was a message of love. Whereas the First Covenant (the Ten Commandments) were strict guidelines of behaviour, the Second Covenant was not so much strict guidelines, as it was a much broader guidance to live by.

Reading more of the texts excluded at The Council of Nicaea, we find the true secondary message of the Second Covenant. This was a most recent Epiphany for me (the second major Epiphany in a decade or so). This is also where all three churches have been lying to everyone for thousands of years now. Including Islam, which although a much more recent belief system, is based on both the Old and New Testament.

Women were an essential force in the Ministry of Christ. The Church Council buried this fact in their male dominated Saviour concept. Women were relegated to second string. As they had been in much of Talmudic and Judaic Law. And certainly are in Islamic practice. As well as in Hindi beliefs

The male/female identity of God is accepted in Hindi, but not so much in others. Mary Magdalene was an Apostle of the Teachings of Christ. The Teaching she received from Christ was not shared with the other Apostles. See this allegorically if you must.

After Christ died, her mission was to reveal the Teaching to the Apostles. None of the Apostles believed Christ had revealed a distinct message to her which they themselves did not receive. One of the Apostles spoke up for her and asked the others to hear her out. There is an important Teaching in this also.

The most important Teaching of course was love. But the New Testament (as it is now) and the Church, focus on the redemption of original sin and the miracle of the Resurrection after death. Hence, Christ as the Saviour of our souls and the promise of eternal life.

On these two points they seemed to have confuscated the message. Christ’s message of love IS the redemption. Live by the message of love and you have fulfilled the Second Covenant (the New Testament). The Old Testament was still important, but the message of the New Covenant had precedence because it was all the more inclusive.

The Council of Nicaea put a chokehold on Christianity that is still held taut by most Christian sects. Confession, Resurrection after death, eternal life through redemption . . . all are based on Church Doctrine, not so much on the Spiritual Teachings of love.

Redemption and Resurrection are actually Buddhist and Hindi Teachings, as well as present in other ancient belief systems. Reincarnation.

The message Mary Magdalene was given by Christ to share with the apostles after his death was much less complex. In so many ways just as important as the message of love. In fact, they are inexorably entwined.

It had little to do with Confession, redemption or Resurrection. All are submissive Church Doctrines.

We do not teach basic communication skills in pre-K and in the early elementary years. Teamwork, listening, constructive feedback, respect, how to communicate with each other without talking over each other, or arguing, or yelling, or using derogatory and insulting language. We do not teach the basic human values that have not changed in thousands of years . . . and will never change. Compassion, humility, courage, honor, generosity, honesty, humanity, respect, love.

Entertainment has become violence and blood. Killing, fighting, competing by demeaning others. It has engulfed our social fabric, so much so that we are attached to it every waking moment. Television, computer, cell phone, tablet. Even while we eat, meet with others, or meet with our family.

Even music has become violent. We continue to divide under the guise of tolerance. We have difficulty reaching agreements or compromising in a world begging for agreement and peace. We have lied to our children about sex, and gods, and God, and resources . . . and money.

We have the capability to communicate with anyone in the world. Yet we rarely do. Except to argue, bicker or insult. We have prevented our children in the schools the one communication outside of themselves, capable of providing them solace and companionship with our Divine universe, God. We have deprived them of Spirituality and Nature. We have deserted the only human quality that sets us apart from inanimate organisms, sincerity with each other.

For thousands of years the human species has had weapons. Rocks, spears, arrows, guns, cannons and worse. Weapons that were used for protection, freedom and food. Yes, we have seen those weapons destroy. But without them we would not survive, or have the capability to defend ourselves, our homes, our families, our possessions and our freedoms.

And suddenly, at this point in history, students turn against other students. Using weapons to end the lives of other students . . . at random.

I’m not too big on Doctrine, but much more focused on the practical. When a person looks outside of themselves, or up to the heavens and prays, it is God. No differentiation except in the written or oral interpretations of God’s Divinity. Native Americans believe in many ‘spirits’. Each is an embodiment of God, just as Nature is an embodiment of God. As someone in the Muslim world wisely said to me recently, ‘we all have the same father and mother’.

The ‘your God, my God’ argument is ludicrous and goes against the very concept of a ‘religion’. In the same vein, the fear or belief in a heaven or hell, or of an afterlife, is less important than your actions on a second by second basis as long as you are alive. I don’t subscribe to the traditional Christian belief that in order to achieve a Divine right after death you must ‘know’ Christ. I do believe you must ‘know’ Christ, but not necessarily as the New Testament persona.

IMO, to ‘know’ Christ is to ‘know’ love. So that even an aborigine in the outback of Australia can achieve a Divinity after death because they are good people in life and know love. I also very much believe in a ‘Living Christ’. Which means Christ never died on the cross, although his Earthly body at some point did ‘die’. But he is as alive today as he ever was. There are those that see and know him and those that don’t.

My religious and spiritual philosophic beliefs are not mainstream by any means, but I spent many years searching and talking to people all over the world and was enlightened by the quest for my own world view while I was in college. I did not really recognize the implications until I was at rock bottom. I was broke, without lights and what seemed like no direction to go in. In other words I was completely in the dark. I remember the moment of enlightenment clearly. I was told by a Rastafarian acquaintance to look inside of myself first.

It may sound simplistic, but it was at that moment I experienced both God and Christ as I never had before then. It wasn’t until decades years later, only recently, that I had another moment of deep religious philosophic clarity. My more recent religious experience was realizing the importance of Mary Magdalene in the story of Christ. What is most important in the story of Christ is not the Resurrection on the cross, nor is it the Salvation as many Christians believe. The most important teaching of Christ is ‘to teach others how to teach enlightenment’. It’s that simple. Do that every second of every day and you will achieve the Divinity of the Living Christ, and God’s love. Eternally.

Lately, my mailbox fills with political articles critical of our new administration leader. Even before the election, it seemed like a deluge mimicking the New York Times or The Washington Post or CNN. So I felt compelled to respond to the recent parades of dissent.

I am very much a foe of the mob mentality. It only means they have all failed at the electoral polls and want to rule through mob force. It’s not much different than law enforcement or the military attempting to force unpopular edicts. I respect the rights of peaceful assembly, aside from the cost to taxpayers for extra security and to clean up their trash. But I personally believe these protests are disingenuous on several levels. I don’t disagree with some of their grievances for equal pay, but it seems all of this is a knee jerk reaction because Clinton lost and the social instigators like George Soros and company have put a lot of time and effort to disrupt our government as much as they possibly can right now. I see these people (some which are my friends, by the way) as sheeple. Led by a mob mentality to promote a national (they attempt international) public relations event to destabilize our current system of Democracy. It also sets a bad precedent for all those ‘cute’ little children with the signs. They see the mob mentality as more important than direct discussions, negotiations and resolutions. At a time when our children are deprived of early education on discussion and debate without hostility, and group resolution of issues in disagreement, it is sending the wrong message. Mob mentality also gives the false impression that because people can organize others to show up in large numbers, it means that everyone is on board with their demands. That is certainly not the case. Many people have much better things to do.

I can relate to organized protest in countries where they are repressed, or under strict dictatorships that deny their citizens their human rights. But that is not the case in the freedom loving United States of America. Those marchers have all of the basic human needs. And they have more opportunity for growth and success than 90% plus of the rest of the world. The marches also empower more dissent against the rest of the population that are trying to promote advancement and change within the parameters of our system of rule. Many of these people criticize ‘Trumpsters’ as bigots, haters and against women, children and the elderly. That couldn’t be further from the truth. We that have supported Donald Trump also believe in human rights, equality for gays, women and other minorities, and that each and every American should have opportunity and the support of their communities for health care, education and prosperity. But we see issues as changes that have to be made TO our SYSTEM. Working WITHIN the system to legislate change that is FAIR to all Americans. Not much different from the opinions of many of those standing in the crowds.

So the bottom line is, ‘we shall see’. We shall see what becomes of the disruptive ‘marches’. Whether they disintegrate into another Occupy fiasco of jobless vagrants trashing out public property and creating more divisiveness and bitterness in our country, or whether they decide to join us with a new administration as we attempt to rectify so many wrongs, not just in our country, but around the world.

As much as I respect the young Muslim girl that gave a speech at one of the gatherings, I also know for a fact, that in many places on the opposite side of the world she would have been dead the next day, if not the same day. Which is why I also feel so many of those marchers understand very little about history, or culture, or what the rest of the world actually even looks like. They are a sheeple controlled and manipulated by a mass media, and in many cases, organizers that care little about them or their lives. Many of the organizers only motivations are to create mass havoc and hysteria to advance their own selfish glory. This is exactly how dictators have come to power in every historical instance of the recent past. I, along with many others, will work consistently to assure this never happens in America.

BLM (Black Lives Matter) is a case study in irony. While they promote their cause that black lives matter, they also seem to endorse the fact that white lives do not. A hateful and certainly racist opinion, no doubt.

I cannot (and do not) believe that the majority of intelligent black Americans believe in this violent hatred. I give them much more credit than all of the current stupidity and idiocy. I do recognize the fact that there is a significant minority of vengeful black racists that insist on violent civil disobedience and on fueling the fires of hatred. In effect, promoting killing and death.

And I do very much feel that Barack Obama has further fueled the hatred instead of endorsing unity and peace, as many truly believed he would. Despite what any of my friends may think or feel (or anyone else) – – – he is a failure. He had the opportunity to unite and heal. Instead he chose to further promote exclusivity, elitism, segregating protectionist legislation, divisiveness and hatred. It is a direct reflection of his lack of character and continued incompetence.

The reality for all of us is that BLM and any other groups promoting such hatred are no different than the Ku Klux Klan, or foreign terrorist organizations. War is easy to incite. Just about anyone can do it. Peace, on the other hand, is a cause that has to be worked on every single day. It is an arduous and often long term process with miraculous results.

I applaud all of my friends and celebrities such as Ringo Starr that are promoting peace. But unfortunately, in order to have peace you must FIGHT hatred. Promoting peace and love is all good and well, but without fighting ignorance, hatred and violence it means nothing.

God Bless and guide with strength the families of those brave American heroes that died in the line of duty protecting our freedoms and our rights to live peacefully. And have mercy on the family of the misguided young man that committed the barbarous acts of evil, under the guise of hateful groups and individuals such as Black Lives Matter.

I have been living mostly in the Middle East for the past five years. My home and family are in the USA. I calmly listen to the mostly uninformed opinions, both right and left, of my friends and family back home. I post my responses and my tidbits of personal experience and insight for them on social media. Their experience of the world is CNN, Fox, MSNBC, the mainstream outlets or NPR and PBS. A few of them may have ventured on vacation to a resort in Mexico or the Caribbean, and even fewer may have ever been to Europe or another country outside of North America.

There is ignorance and hate across the Middle East. Just as there is ignorance and hatred in parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Balkans, South America, Central America and North America, including the USA. There are groups of extremists in almost all Muslim countries. Some governments are much stricter than others. There are other Muslims that aren’t violent extremists. But they do accept what I consider to be the ignorant and superstitious Islamic beliefs that condone violence against others, including women and children and members of their own families.

I consider any Muslim that still believes in the extreme forms of punishment, or the disrespect of the rights of women and children, to be an accomplice to an ignorant abomination . . . of any religion. And actually, it is no religion at all. It is not a religion or belief system that the God I know would approve of. There are many more millions of Muslims you never hear about. They are the ones that live in the peaceful areas of many countries and they live their lives much like you and I. Without all the extreme idiocy the media is so quick to focus on. They work hard day in and day out to feed and clothe their families. And to provide a safe roof over their heads so their children can do the same for their own families someday.

Yet, we must never stop reporting on the ignorance and hatred, including the ignorance and hatred of extremist Muslims in Europe, America and other predominantly non-Muslim countries. They have to be called out every day. Most important, other Muslims need to raise their voices and communicate to the ignorant and superstitious Muslims, that Islam needs to live peacefully with all the other religions of this Earth. This must be the priority, the goal and the destiny of the religion. As it always should be.

At the same time, Western leaders should never deny the fact that there are violent Muslims and also other Muslim extremists that are a constant danger to all of the rest of the world. They must understand that when Islamic communities are isolated within Western countries and allowed to do whatever they want, there will be hatred, extremism and violence. You can not throw two radically different culturally, economically and religious groups together and expect them to peacefully integrate within a single decade. This productive peaceful integration will often take decades and in some historical cases throughout the world, centuries. Education is always the most powerful weapon we have against ignorance. Education is also the most powerful weapon we have against poverty, always.

Be always on your guard. This is not the quiet mostly peaceful world of yesterday. The media and technology have unleashed the Frankenstein of Mary Shelley’s most excellent and prophetic novel. Tolerance, freedom and liberty must always be accompanied by a very strong and intense dose of respect for others. Seek the truth.

I’ve experienced the operatives of deceit throughout my life in many different forms and in many different media. I was destined from birth to seek and share, Truth and enlightenment, wherever and whenever. So it continues to be a constant struggle. A consistent challenge where they suppress all forms of achievement and advancement in any way they can.

I can not stress enough how ingrained and integrated they are in every aspect of our lives. They are especially most dangerous to those that attempt to reveal them and expose them to others. They are masters of disinformation. They use politics, religion or any personal topic they can to fulfill their deviant agenda. Or worse.

Be aware. Call them out whenever possible. Don’t let them divert your focus from the sharing and spread of knowledge and enlightenment. They are powerful and very wealthy. They are the concealers of artifacts and learning from the past. They are in hiding in lands and countries throughout the world. Their modus operandi is to use conflict and violence to control and confiscate the world treasures they haven’t already confiscated and concealed for themselves.

Be aware!

And in secret warehouses, underground caves, bunkers, castles and mansions . . . millions of artifacts dwell in darkness, few in the limelight. Many in crates and boxes, compartmentalized. Few records of their existence and fewer still, those authorized to open them to verify if their recorded contents actually still exist.

I like the white witch of the west better than the black witch of the north. that might make me racist. i like my white shirts white. i don’t like those black stains around the collars. that might make me a racist. I like to whitewash my picket fence. paint my ceilings white and whitewall tires. that might make me a racist. i don’t like all the black at funerals. that might make me a racist.

but I like dark chocolate more than I do white chocolate. that might make me a racist.

fjl
3.18.16

Religious choice is not an argument. Religion is not about rejecting. It is about accepting. I have seen and met many Christians and Muslims that are very devout and go to church, or pray five times a day. They all follow all the customs and traditions. Yet most of the time they treat other people like dirt.

Religion is a set of doctrines that outlines a belief system. In the end, even though religion does provide a crutch, and even though it does offer solace and charity to many around the world, it is also a major source of divisiveness, hatred and violence.

Religion is mostly a behavioral system. But you don’t need religion to abide by a valuable behavioral system. The most important behavioral values are as old as mankind and will continue to be valuable in perpetuity. They never change and they never diminish in importance, no matter what else is going on in the world.

The 12 Lakota Virtues are a very good example. Prayer is one more of the virtues. If you read these carefully, you will recognize how they are embedded in the parables and teachings of all other religions.

Religion is also a meditative philosophy. The Buddhists consider meditation a form of prayer. Christian, Muslim and Judaic prayers all strive to achieve a unity with God or a higher Divinity. Prayer is a powerful life force because it focuses energy on positive results. Which is also why unselfish prayer very often does work.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all based on the Old Testament Bible. Many of the core stories in the Old Testament Bible are based on Sumerian mythology. The Old Testament Bible was also based on the writing of at least 4 different authors, rewriting the work of other authors, and then edited and interpreted by more authors in the early Vatican. The New Testament and the Quran were both interpretations of oral or written perceptions both authored, well after the deaths of Christ and Mohammed. And then reinterpreted by the Vatican, or Imams and religious leaders over the centuries.

Ascribing to a religion is less important than ascribing to a behavioral code. Buddhism and Hinduism believe that what you do now will determine the position you will be in when you return to life on Earth. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all believe that what you do here on Earth will determine your salvation in ‘heaven’ or ‘paradise’ after death. They all employ either reincarnation, heaven, or paradise, to influence how to behave while here on Earth.

How you treat others every second of every day is more important than doctrines, churches, Mosques, Synagogues, heaven, the next life, or paradise. How you treat others every second of every day is more important than religion.

Several years ago an ancient manuscript was found in two different places that claimed to be the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. Although pieces of both manuscripts were missing, it revealed an amazing Truth. Mary Magdalene was very close to Christ and after Christ died she told the other Apostles that Christ had revealed to her a message that he had not revealed to the others.

Several of the Apostles did not at first believe her. It illustrates how women were often judged not equal to men in preaching the Word of the Gospel. This continued for generations, supported by the Catholic Church and up to this very day. But it also provides the most critical revelation. The importance of the teachings of Christ is not so much about the ‘resurrection’, nor is the primary importance about ‘eternal life and the abolition of original sin’. The most important revelation from the teachings of Christ is simply ‘to learn how to teach others how to teach enlightenment‘.

Religion is a personal journey. It is a personal revelation. Religion is enlightenment. Knowledge is enlightenment. Knowledge combined with wisdom is true enlightenment. Research all religions. Understand why they believe what they do. Show compassion for others and for their beliefs. Learn to develop a conscious dialog with the Divinity of existence. Treat other people with respect, kindness and compassion . . . always.

Learn to do these things and you will never need organized religion. Yet you will feel comfortable in any religious gathering, assembly, or structure you will ever visit.

Education First. Education should be first and foremost priority for any struggling nation or third world country. In fact, it should be the first and foremost priority for any country. Few leaders in the world actually understand this. They prefer to focus on economics, roads, infrastructure, agriculture, development or international investments.

Education FIRST is the precursor of success for all other priorities. Education leads to the knowledge required to manage and provide health care. The second most important priority. Education provides the knowledge to explore more effective and efficient agricultural productivity. Education opens opportunities to build and design infrastructure. Education leads to economic knowledge of banking and investments to further advance a nation.

Current educational ‘systems’ focus on a herd mentality. They are inept to foster creative independent thinkers, critical for a productive society or company. Education should always be focused toward individuality. Every child learns at different speeds. Every child has strengths and weaknesses. Every child has an area of knowledge or talent they are more passionate about than all others.

We need to focus on nurturing those strengths and passions in each and every child. Giving them the tools and resources to develop their skills and talents within the fields they love. And assisiting them to develop a minimal understanding of the subjects they may not be quite as passionate about.

It is the responsibility of business and industry to assure this happens. To support and promote early education even if the student is not an immediate prospect for their business or industry. Our youth is our future. Always.